|  |  |  | South Carolina Governors – James Hovis Hodges, 1999-2003South Carolina
  SC History  SC Governors  Governor James Hovis Hodges 
 Also see: SC Government
 
 
 
| Biographical Overview
Born: November 19, 1956 in Lancaster, South Carolina
Died: 
Buried:
Religion: Methodist
Political Party: Democrat
 |  James Hovis Hodges Courtesy of Governor's Office
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| Education |  
| Occupations
Lawyer
General Counsel, The Springs Company
 |  Major Events and Accomplishments, 1999–2003
Education and a statewide lottery were major issues in Hodges' campaign
Hodges was the first candidate to defeat an incumbent governor in a general election since Wade Hampton III defeated Governor Daniel Henry Chamberlain in 1876
 Other Government Positions
South Carolina House of Representatives, 1986-1997
 Other Accomplishments, Honors, Distinctions
As a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, Hodges served as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee from 1992-1994 and became House Democratic Leader in 1995
1992 – Hodges was named legislator of the year by the South Carolina Association of Councils on Aging
1993 – Hodges was named legislator of the year by the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce
 Web ResourcesElection Results
| Democratic Primary – 1998 |  
| Hodges was unopposed in the 1998 Democratic gubernatorial primary. |  
 
| Republican Primary – 1998 |  
| David Beasley | 114,082 votes | 72% |  
| Bill Able | 43,967 votes | 28% |  
 
| General Election – November 3, 1998 |  
| James Hovis Hodges | 570,070 votes | 53.3% |  
| David Beasley | 484,088 votes | 45.3% |  
| Timothy Moultrie | 14,894 votes | 1.4% |  
 
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